This gene encodes a member of the serine protease family of enzymes and forms a principal precursor of the pancreatic proteolytic enzymes. The encoded preproprotein is synthesized in the acinar cells of the pancreas and secreted into the small intestine where it undergoes proteolytic activation to generate a functional enzyme. This CTRB1 gene is located head-to-head with the related CTRB2 gene. Some human populations have an alternate haplotype which inverts a 16.6 Kb region containing portions of intron 1, exon 1, and the upstream sequence of the CTRB1 and CTRB2 genes. In this inversion haplotype exon 1 and flanking sequence is swapped in CTRB1 and CTRB2. This inversion is associated with differential gene expression and increased risk for chronic pancreatitis. The GRCh38 assembly represents the minor allele for SNP rs8048956 of the CTRB1 gene. SNP rs8048956 in intron 1 of the CTRB2 gene is diagnostic for this inversion. This CTRB1 gene encodes distinct isoforms, some or all of which may undergo similar processing to generate the mature protein.